Mysterious Hidden Layer Discovered Beneath Rembrandt’s ‘The Night Watch’
Researchers studying Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" say they have uncovered a mysterious, previously hidden layer underneath the painting.
Christopher Plain
Christopher Plain is Lead Science Writer at The Debrief. A science fiction and fantasy novelist of many years, you can follow and connect with him on X @plain_fiction, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.
NASA Identifies 17 Potentially Habitable Earth-Sized Icy Worlds, Including Two Cosmic Nearby Neighbors
A team of NASA researchers says they have identified 17 potentially habitable icy worlds including two that are cosmically nearby, which may have subsurface oceans teeming with extraterrestrial life.
31,000-Year-Old Artifacts Reveal Use of Advanced Projectile Weapon Millennia Earlier Than Previously Thought
31,000-year-old artifacts reveal that stone age Europeans were using advanced weapons thousands of years before previously believed.
Physicists Hope to Finally Resolve Whether Gravity is Quantum by Levitating Micro Diamonds
New experiments to determine whether or not gravity is quantum in nature will involve levitating micro diamonds in a vacuum.
The First and Only Exomoons Ever Discovered Orbiting Distant Planets May Be Something Else Entirely
Astronomers studying the first and only two exomoons ever discovered outside our solar system say deeper investigations now reveal they don't exist.
NASA Funded Experiments Show Detecting Signs of Life in Water Ejected from Enceladus is Viable
Experiments funded by NASA show that sending a probe to Enceladus to search for extraterrestrial life is viable.
The U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research is Aiming to Track and Identify Unresolved Resident Space Objects
The U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research is funding an effort to track and characterize unresolved resident space objects.
NASA Readying Radioisotope-Powered Spacecraft Fueled by Plutonium-238 to Explore the Deepest Reaches of Space
Following the receipt of plutonium-238 from the DOE, NASA says they are planning deep space missions powered by radioisotope generators.
Cornell Researchers Say New Wind and Solar Power Projects Could Profit from Bitcoin Mining
Researchers say Bitcoin mining, which is often targeted by environmental activists, could actually help new wind and solar power projects.
‘Magical’ Properties of Devil’s Church Cave, Used by Shamans and Healers For Centuries, Linked to Site’s Rare Acoustics
Researchers studying the supposed magical properties of Devil's Church cave in Finland say a resonance phenomenon may explain these beliefs.
‘First Ever’ Experiments to Measure Theoretical ‘Quantum Flickering’ in an Empty Vacuum Slated for 2024
A consortium of German researchers aiming to be the first to measure quantum flickering directly say that their potentially groundbreaking experiments are finally ready to take place sometime in 2024.
Astronomers Baffled By Mysterious Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Ray Coming from Nearly Empty Void in Space
An international team of researchers says they have detected an ultra-high energy cosmic ray originating from a nearly empty void in space.
DARPA Funding ‘Game Changing’, High-Speed VTOL Aurora X-Plane
DARPA has signed an agreement with Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences to develop the SPRINT high-speed VTOL Aurora X-Plane.
Archaeologists Find 3000-Year-Old Tablet Written in a Mysterious, Unknown Language
Archaeologists working at the ancient site of Hattusa in Turkey have discovered a 3,000-year-old tablet written in a mysterious language that modern experts have never seen before.
Scientists Studying Psychic Channeling Discover a “Complex Phenomenon That Deserves More Serious Study”
Scientists researching claims of psychic channeling say they found a complex phenomenon that deserves more serious study.
NASA Funding Development of “Game-Changing” Rotating Detonation Rocket Engines
NASA is funding researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington for the development of rotating detonation rocket engines.
Department of Energy Constructing First-Ever Electron-Ion Collider to Explore the Building Blocks of Matter
The United States Department of Energy is Joining Forces with France's equivalent agency to build the first-ever Electron-Ion Collider.
EXCLUSIVE: The ‘Impossible’ Quantum Drive That Defies Known Laws of Physics was Just Launched into Space
An experimental form of electric propulsion known as the Quantum Drive that seemingly defies the known laws of physics was just launched into space.
Mysterious Drawing of an African Lion Found in Ancient Puerto Rican Cave, Where There Are No Lions
Researchers studying Puerto Rico's first human occupation have found a mysterious drawing of an African lion inside an ancient cave.
European Satellite Spots Mysterious Glow Coming From Mars
A mysterious glow coming from Mars was recently spotted by a European Space Agency satellite studying the red planet's atmosphere.
Regular Cannabis Use Increases Feelings of Empathy, New Study Says
A new study involving questionnaires and brain scans claims that regular cannabis use increase feelings of empathy.
Massive Indonesian Pyramid with ‘Hidden Chambers’ Was Likely Built Before the Dawn of Civilization, New Research Reveals
New research reveals the Indonesian megalithic site of Gunung Padang was built thousands of years before the dawn of human civilization.
Physicists Achieve the Impossible by Controlling the ‘Chaotic Behavior’ of Light
Physicists say they have accomplished the seemingly impossible by successfully controlling the chaotic behavior of light.
“Telepathic” Communication From Thoughts Alone May Finally Be Possible With This Breakthrough Technology
A team of neuroscientists and neurosurgeons say that communication from thoughts alone may finally be possible thanks to advanced brain sensors and machine learning algorithms.
NASA Shows Off Experimental ‘Next-Generation’ Advanced Electric Propulsion System
NASA is revealing new details about its experimental Advanced Electric Propulsion System, designed to fly on the Gateway mission in 2025.
U.S. Air Force Signs Historic Agreement to Share Data with FAA on Advanced Air Mobility Vehicles
The U.S. Air Force has signed a historic agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration to share critical testing data and expertise on Advanced Air Mobility Vehicles.
A Six Year Search for Purely Theoretical Axions is Going Deep Underground… Literally
Researchers are going into a laboratory deep underground to spend six years searching for purely theoretical particles known as axions.
These Deep Space ‘Agents of Chaos’ Likely ‘Wreak Havoc’ on Alien Lifeforms
New simulations by California astrophysicists reveal that gas giant planets can act as 'agents of chaos' by wreaking havoc on the orbits of earthlike planets capable of supporting alien lifeforms.
Creepy ‘Face’ Captured on the Surface of Jupiter by NASA’s Juno Spacecraft
Just in time for Halloween, NASA's Juno spacecraft has returned an image of cloud formations on the surface of Jupiter that seems to resemble a creepy face.
Ancient ‘Feat of Engineering’ Nearly 1,000 Years Older Than the Pyramids Found on Remote North Sea Island
Archaeologists say they have unearthed an ancient 'feat of engineering' on a remote island that had nearly been lost to history.
NASA’s Mysterious X-59 Supersonic Experimental Aircraft is Finally Gearing Up For Its First Flight
NASA's mysterious X-59 experimental aircraft is moving towards its first flight following an announced goal of 2024.
Unexpected Discovery Hidden Underneath Antarctic Ice Shelf for Millennia Found by Space Robot
Researchers studying beneath the Antarctic Ice Shelf say they have discovered stunning patterns and features no one has seen before.
Odd Formations on Mars Are Not Ordinary Strata After All, But Likely Clues to Ancient Habitat
Unique formations on Mars previously dismissed as ordinary rock strata may actually be signs of an ancient habitat on the red planet.
A 5,000-Year-Old Egyptian Tomb is Revealing its Secrets, and What Was Found Inside Could Rewrite Ancient History
A team of archaeologists studying a 5,000-year-old Egyptian tomb say their unexpected findings may dramatically alter previously held beliefs about the country's ancient history.
Hunt For Alien Technology Finishes Scan of 1.6 Million Star Systems “Flagged as Interesting Targets”
A team of Irish physicists have scanned 1.6 million star systems that could be promising targets in the search for alien technology.
The ‘Lost’ Continent of Argoland Has Finally Been Found, Solving a 155 Million-Year-Old Mystery
Following a seven-year search, the Lost Continent of Argoland, which broke off from Australia and disappeared 155 million years ago, has finally been found.
170-Million-Year-Old Ancient “Sea Monster” Revealed as World’s Oldest Mega-Predator of its Kind
A 170-million-year-old ancient sea monster has been classified by a team of European researchers as the oldest mega-predator of its Era.
Most Water-Repellent Surface Ever Created Challenges Existing Ideas on Friction
The most water-repellant surface ever was just created by researchers at the molecular level, challenging existing ideas on friction.
Anomalous “Tracks” in Astronomical Imagery Originally Dismissed as Noise Could be Something Else Entirely
A perplexing series of tracks that astronomers first dismissed as noise appear to be something else entirely.
Mysterious Cosmic Radio Waves From A Galaxy 8 Billion Light Years Away Were Just Detected by Scientists
A team of astronomers has detected a burst of cosmic radio waves originating from a galaxy 8 billion light years away.
40,000-Year-Old Encounters Between Humans and an Enigmatic Extinct Species Revealed in New Genetic Study
A new study delves into the 40,000-year-old encounters between modern humans and Neanderthals, revealing previously unknown patterns in our DNA.
Unbreakable Barrier Broken: New “Superlens” Technique Will Finally Allow Scientists to See the Infinitesimal
researchers trying to see things smaller than the best modern optical microscopes have developed a superlens technique without a superlens.
Laser Beams Deflected Off of Nothing but Air for First Time Ever in Breakthrough Patent Pending Process
Scientists tapping onto the power of acoustic waves say they have developed a contactless way of redirecting laser beams off of nothing but air.
Pseudogravity That Bends Light Just Like Real Gravity Created by Engineers in a Laboratory
A team of researchers working with photonic crystals say they have created pseudogravity in the lab that bends light like real gravity.
Exoplanet Hunters Spot Something They’ve Never Seen Before While Observing Distant Alien Ice Giant
An international team of exoplanet hunters say they have spotted the first-ever recorded collision of two alien ice giant exoplanets.
Electron Beams Magically Heal Microscopic Fractures, May Also Enable Creation of Objects One Atom at a Time
Electron beams that power microscopes have shown the seemingly magical ability to heal microscopic fractures atom by atom.
What is an ‘Exascale’ Supercomputer, and why is Europe Trying to Build One?
A European consortium has committed over 500 million euros to build the continent's first 'exascale' supercomputer which will be as powerful as 10 million notebook PCs.
Scientists Successfully Simulate Backward Time Travel with a 25% Chance of Actually Changing the Past
Scientists working at the University of Cambridge say they have simulated a backward time travel system that resulted in a 25% chance of successfully changing the past.
U.S. Army is Training Soldiers in New Fighting Technique That Didn’t Exist Before the 21st Century
The U.S. Army is training their soldiers in a new form of combat aimed at countering the increasing threat of unmanned aerial vehicles on the battlefield.
Mysterious Brightness Spotted by James Webb Telescope that has Baffled Physicists Potentially Solved
A mysterious brightness from the cosmic dawn which baffled physicists by violating the standard model of cosmology may finally be solved.